“The Australian Government is proud to support this very
first community art project in the Mekong Delta”, said Ms. Rebecca Bryant,
Deputy Head of Mission - Australian Embassy in Vietnam, at the mural village
opening.

“The Vietnam-Australia Mural Village has added a big splash
of colour to the walls around the village, and we hope this will attract new
visitors to the area. Together with the Cao Lanh Bridge, which we expect will
open in the first half of 2018, this will be a new symbol of the friendship
between Australia and Vietnam,” she said.

Hundreds of different mural installations were created by
artists, including an Indigenous Australian artist, together with volunteer
students from Dong Thap University.

“This public art project has created opportunities for local
young people to contribute positively to their local community and for both
Australian and Vietnamese artists to put their creative talents on display”,
said Mr. Bradley Kickett, the Australian artist who participated in the project.

The Vietnam-Australia Mural Village is expected to bring a
new vitality to the Tan Tich neighbourhood while still preserving the charm of
its tight-knit community. Over time the village will attract many new visitors
from across the province, different parts of the country and from around the
world.

The Cao Lanh Bridge, funded by the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) and Australia, is one of two major bridges (Cao Lanh and Vam Cong) under
the Central Mekong Delta Connectivity Project.

Funded by grant aid from the Australian
Government and a concessional loan from the ADB, the Cao Lanh Bridge represents
the largest single Australian aid activity in Southeast Asia.-VNA